US Politics, November 2019: These people are truly sick.

Meantime

JUST IN -- new statement from @statedeptspox from Pompeo's plane, currently in mid-flight:

"Gordon Sonland never told Secretary Pompeo that he believed the President was linking aid to investigations of political opponents. Any suggestion to the contrary is flat out false.”

— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) November 20, 2019

the one lonely amigo's changing story is going to give them some ammunition to cast his story as dubious

https://i.imgur.com/WXW5gSR.png

"What do you want from Ukraine?" He asks me, screaming. "what do you want from Ukraine!? I keep hearing all these different ideas and theories!" This is Ambassador Sondland speaking to me. To which I turned off the television. "What do you want from Ukraine, I keep hearing all these different ideas and theories! What do you want? What do you want?" It was a very short and abrupt conversation that he had with me.

xpost Trudat though the various emails etc. rather help.

Nunes wearing pinstripes and a spotted tie. He's dressed like Paula Poundstone circa 1989.

lolol @ Republicans criticizing Vindman for wearing his uniform. Can you imagine, someone trying to hide behind the military and patriotism??? Lt Col Ollie North can't even fathom such a thing.

the headlines over at foxnews are something else

One reaction to the impeachment hearings: As a conservative, I like the judges, the deregulation, the energy renaissance, and more. I have a deep-seated, healthy fear of the Left. But Trump & Co. are such g**damned liars. This cannot be gotten around. Character counts -- a lot.

— Jay Nordlinger (@jaynordlinger) November 20, 2019

lol @ "energy renaissance"

is he talking about all the coal plants that have been shut down

the safe out for sen gop is death or resignation u know

(lol not their own)

re "energy renaissance", i assume he's talking about this

https://i.imgur.com/2J0rg9P.jpg

one question i keep asking myself about a republican talking point that keeps coming up is "WTF did Ukraine have to gain by meddling in the US elections ?"

xpost Maybe he's a Belle & Sebastian fan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKTDiWslOPo

"WTF did Ukraine have to gain by meddling in the US elections ?"

i'm not sure, but i'm sure Russia has some good prepared answers for that the GOP could borrow

this is the kind of thing that worries me about the Dem field

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/471335-poll-trump-leads-top-democratic-opponents-in-wisconsin

I'm a bit suspicious of this, Dems won big here in 2018 and most other polls of the state showed Trump losing to everyone.

the only way to know for certain is if we ask an old white guy in a trucker cap at a diner

Sean Hannity says on his radio show that Gordon Sondland's testimony has won it for the Republicans: "It is over. It is done. This is the end of this."

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) November 20, 2019

Jordan and Stefanik just asked what the single most exculpatory evidence they've heard has been, and their answer was "the president's own words." Um, that's not how that works.

Xxpost the guy on Omar's couch?

lol

just to make this clear

the GOP's entire defense is the fact that Trump said "I DONT WANT A QUID PRO QUO" a week after he had gotten caught

am I understanding this right

xp to most republicans, including voters, it IS over now. they have an excuse (the president never literally said "quid pro quo, please! i'm asking you to do quid pro quo! biden investigation for military aid, to be clear!"). it doesn't matter how dumb that excuse is, they'll roll with it. that'll get them through the senate's decision to acquit, that'll get them through the rest of the election season, as long as they stay within right wing media.

which is not to say that impeachment is pointless - it will be great to get them all on the record that the people who obviously committed crimes are in fact totally innocent. make it super obvious to everyone who cares to pay attention, then run all their spineless defenses as campaign attack ads all year

"Quid Pro Quo" was a really underrated followup for 20 Fingers feat. Gillette.

just to make this clear

the GOP's entire defense is the fact that Trump said "I DONT WANT A QUID PRO QUO" a week after he had gotten caught

am I understanding this right

yes

Trump has never played quidditch, so how could he ever be a pro?

Jordan and Stefanik just asked what the single most exculpatory evidence they've heard has been, and their answer was "the president's own words." Um, that's not how that works.

― Josh in Chicago

Maybe they confused "exculpatory" for "damning"

pack it in

Sean Hannity says on his radio show that Gordon Sondland's testimony has won it for the Republicans: "It is over. It is done. This is the end of this."

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) November 20, 2019

SEAN HANNITY on his radio show: "This couldn't be a better day for President Trump."

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) November 20, 2019

He needs more good days like this.

IN an ideal world which we're obviously not living in would Sondland be flying to Brussels to go back to the job he's obviously so qualified for that he can double up in an almost neighbouring area? Don't get this, surely a proof of that level fo corruption would be a cue to remove him from the job. Though I guess its who his boss is, innit?

Girl bye, I don’t do fake...😂😭

Congressman Krishnamoorthi is all of us!

pic.twitter.com/tyofl5gOsn

— FierceWarriorNStilettos (@InactionNever) November 20, 2019

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJ2Ncx6WoAEwP2t?format=jpg&name=medium

lol These are like Fugazi lyrics.

I *wish* it was the final word from the Pres of the US

lol like a suicide note. Or Ripley at the end of Alien.

Tell Melania I love her very much she knows

how many versions of this dumb statement does Nunes have?

Nunes off again .anything worthwhile being spewed?
Really hope he gets to be t's jail buddy.
I mean what do you do as an ex lap dog?

This is still happening??

New witnesses.

xpost Put down behind a barn?

ok jesus cooper is boring. too many acronyms.

wish they would stretch the hearings out a little more, like just one hearing a day. it's a lot to absorb

Laura Cooper is correcting her testimony about when the Ukrainians first asked about the hold on Ukrainian security assistance. She had testified she first heard from Ukraine about it Sept. 5. Her staff subsequently showed her emails from July 25 (!) showing Ukraine was asking.

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 20, 2019

cnn just went dark for me (via hulu and on their website), must have killed itself after hearing OMB for the 75th time.

amazed Nunes didn't yell MACLUNKEY and fall over dead in his chair today

I feel like I should be watching this next round, but wow, it's deadly dull.

xp don't worry, he will in the director's cut

the synopsis is good enough; ukraine knew aid was being withheld earlier than republicans were stating, way back in July.

but was that real July or fake July

it was actually Smarch